Saturated or pre-moistened wiping products have been used in a variety of wiping and polishing applications. Perhaps the most common form is a stack of individual, folded sheets packaged in a plastic container for use as baby wipes. Wet wipes are also available containing antimicrobial compositions for cleaning desired surfaces. Wet wipes are typically used only once and then discarded.
Wet wipes designed to clean or disinfect adjacent surfaces are typically made containing synthetic fibers and/or water insoluble adhesives or binders. For instance, many wet wipe materials are made from airlaid webs that have been treated with a water insoluble adhesive or spunlace webs containing water insoluble synthetic fibers. Wet wipe materials may also contain meltspun webs, such as meltblown webs, spunbond webs and laminates thereof. Although these materials have good strength properties, the materials generally are not water dispersible, meaning that the materials do not disintegrate when immersed in water. Thus, the materials are not biodegradable and must be thrown into a trash receptacle after use.
Thus, a need currently exists for a pre-saturated wiping product that is designed to disinfect and clean surfaces, while also being water dispersible and/or biodegradable. More particularly, a need exists for a pre-saturated wiping product that sanitizes surfaces, such as a toilet seat, and then can be flushed safely down a toilet.